La Liga to return from June 8 after Spanish government gives green light for football to restart

La Liga will be able to resume from the week beginning June 8 after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gave the green light for football to return.

The Spanish top flight has been suspended since March, but authorities have been exploring a way to conclude the campaign while the coronavirus pandemic continues.

La Liga officials have been looking to Friday, June 12 as the date on which they want the league to return, and they can now push towards that target.

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Sanchez said in an address to the nation on Saturday: "Spain has done what it should and now new horizons are opening for everyone. The time has come to resume many daily activities. From June 8, La Liga will return to football."

La Liga president Javier Tebas said earlier this week he was "excited" about the prospect of matches returning. He stressed they could only proceed with clearance from health authorities, but the go-ahead from Sanchez means Spanish football will soon be up and running once more.

Tebas expressed his joy following Sanchez's announcement, tweeting: "We are very happy with the decision, it is the result of the great work of clubs, players, coaches.

"CSD [National Sports Council] and agents were involved. But it is very important to follow the sanitary precautions and respect the evolution of the pandemic, we cannot lower our guard."

Games will likely be played without supporters present to minimise the risk of the disease spreading again - a development Spain coach Luis Enrique is not excited about.

“Playing behind closed doors is sadder than dancing with your own sister,” he said this week.

“But you have to understand that football is a business – and it will help to pass the time during lockdown."

Barcelona sit top of La Liga with a two-point lead over challengers Real Madrid with 11 games left to play. At the other end, bottom side Espanyol are six points from safety while Leganes and Mallorca are scrambling for a way out of the relegation zone.